On The Bright Side: Best dogs gather in Bainbridge

By Patricia Breakey
Delhi News Bureau

June 26, 2009 04:00 am

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BAINBRIDGE _ Affenpinschers, Dogue de Bordeaux, Havanese, Pulik, Salukis and Shiba Inu gathered in General Clinton Park on Thursday to compete for the title of "Best of Show."

They were among 842 dogs representing 122 breeds at the 60th annual Del-Otse-Nango Kennel Club Dog Show.

The show was the first in a four-day event.

The show cluster also includes the Kanadasaga Kennel Club, with 968 dogs entered today; the Susque-Nango Kennel Club, with 1,145 dogs on Saturday; and the Chenango Valley Kennel Club, featuring 1,076 dogs on Sunday.

The shows run from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Janet Saporito, Del-Otse-Nango president, said people began arriving at the park Monday to prepare. There are more than 150 camping trailers on-site.

Saporito said that previous shows were held in separate locations, but in recent years, they have been held together so dog owners don't have to travel from site to site.

According to Kennel Club rules, shows cannot be canceled for reasons other than lightning, though three years ago, the Flood of 2006 led to a cancellation.

See DOGS on Page 3

"We have held shows in mud so deep it sucks the shoes off your feet," Saporito said. "And there have been shows that went on in the snow."

On Thursday, the sun was shining and the heat was rising. Owners were draping their dogs in wet clothes and misting them with spray bottles of water to keep the canines cool.

In ring three, the tables were turned: it wasn't the dogs that were being judged, it was the young humans that were being scrutinized for their ability to show the dogs.

The junior showmanship category features youngsters from age 9 to 18 in both novice and open categories.

Saporito and said the young handlers are the future of the Kennel Club shows.

Abby Kochan, 14, of Fairport, wearing No. 22 on her sleeve, waited calmly for her category. She was working with Jackson, a two-year-old soft-coated Wheaten terrier that she co-owns with breeder Susie Ratliffe of Macedon.

Abby said this is her third year competing in junior showmanship.

"My dad whitewater kayaks with Susie's husband, so I got to know her, and then I got interested in showing dogs," Abby said.

Abby said she goes to shows throughout the year, but she also participates in crew, which interferes with dog shows during the summer.

Abby wore a black dress, which she said is a requirement for showing.

"You want to look dressed up, but you also need to be able to move comfortably," she said. "Then you just go in there, try to have fun and do your best."

Abby said it takes three wins to move up a level, but Thursday wasn't her day to take the top spot.

Lauryn Mitchell, 10, of Madison, was also working with a soft-coated Wheaton terrier, this one named Molly.

Lauryn's grandmother, JoDee Kogut, of Hamilton, shows dogs and said she got Lauryn interested in showing.

"It's really fun," Lauryn said as she dashed back and forth between the junior showmanship ring and the dog show ring, where she was showing her dog alongside adult handlers.

Lauryn didn't win for showmanship, but she led the dog to second place against the adults.

"It's really fun," she said, and she was looking forward to doing it again today, though she will miss the other two days to go home and attend her sister's graduation.

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